oven fried lumpia

I grew up on Filipino food, but I rarely eat it...or crave it.  So when I do, getting that fill is a must.  So last weekend, I rolled up my sleeves and made one of the most common Filipino dishes - Lumpia!  It's absolutely a process to make these suckers, but they're totally worth it.

Many Asian cultures have their own version of an "egg roll" and this is the Filipino version.  In all honesty, there's 2 things that make lumpia unique - the wrapper and filling.  You'll find different variations with ground pork or vegetables, but I opted for ground beef.  While these are usually fried, I decided to make it a little healthier by placing them in the oven and while the fried stuff is still the best, an oven fried version is just as good.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lbs ground beef
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 cups frozen stir fry vegetables (I usually like to do it fresh, but sometimes a lazy mom's gotta do, what a lazy mom's gotta do!)
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Black pepper
• 1 package of lumpia wrappers (available at Filipino or Asian stores)
• Thai sweet and hot sauce
• 1 egg (can substitute with vegetable oil in case you have an egg allergy)

Directions:

• A few hours before you plan on rolling the lumpia, remove the wrappers from freezer and leave out to defrost.
• Meat Filling:
• About an hour before you plan on cooking the lumpia, prep the filling.
• Sautee garlic and onions in a large pan.
• When onions are translucent, add ground beef and brown.
• Drain out any fat from the meat and return to heat.
• Add frozen vegetables, tbsp of soy sauce and pepper to taste.  
• Continue to cook until frozen vegetables are cooked through.
• Place meat filling in large bowl and cool for at lest 30 minutes.
• Rolling instructions:
• When you're ready to begin assembling, whisk egg in a small bowl and set close by.
• Prepare lumpia wrappers and in each individual wrapper place a spoonful of filling.
• Fold the bottom part first (over the filling), then fold the left and right ends in together at the same time.
• Roll the lumpia in an upward motion and put a small dab of egg on the inner fold to "glue" the wrapper shut.
• Set aside and repeat.
• Baking instructions:
• Now if you want to fry these (which is how they're traditionally made), by all means please do.  They're delicious this way.  But if you want a health alternative, baking them is an option.
• Pre-heat over at 425 degrees.
• Place lumpia across a baking sheet with some space in between.
• With a pastry brush, lightly brush a coat of oil over the top of each piece.
• Bake for 15 minutes and flip each piece.
• Brush the other side with a light coat of oil and bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes (until crispy)
• Serve with the sweet and spicy sauce!